Rooms (ISBN 0847828263)

Lovely Book:
This is a lovely book, its very soothing and enjoyable to read. The photographs are lovely and the homes are so interesting. Its really worth buying for oneself or as a gift. I purchased the book since I am decorating my home which was built in 1917 and I felt I could learn something from the featured homes. "Rooms" took my breath away when I first started browsing it.

Derry Moore:
Derry Moore is a genius and that is what drew me to this volumn of outstanding photographs. I have read Arch Digest for years & even today my 3rd story attic is crammed with past issues & Derry Moore was the choice of the old fabulous homes I love to visit as often as possible. I saw this book in the incredible London bookstore Hatchard's and just had to order it once I returned home. I have learned the hard way not to try to lug these heavy books.....hughly recommend it.

It's all about DERRY MORE!:
Derry Moore is the name that should appear first in this listing, as his photos are pure magic. And this book proves it!! Ignore the hideous cover graphics! The photos appear one per page with no borders to distract and each one is more compelling than the next- page after page of iconic rooms! Here is the Hotel Lambert, including Marie Helene's silver bathtub and her astonishing Sevres room, where the 18th century Sevres royal porcelain dinner service matches the important 18th century Sevres- covered commode: a room unique in the world. Elsie de Wolfe's Villa Trianon. Nureyev's magical lair. Chatsworth. Lulu de Waldner. The Duchesse de Mouchy. Nancy Lancaster at Avery Row. And more!!! This book is vital to any design library! (the only weak spot is the last apartment featured- the apartment of the author- it doesn't hold up to the magnificence of the others.) The small portions of text are very nice. The cover and bright graphics in between features are terrible. Just ignore them!! And focus on the transportive powers of Derry Moore.

The Best Rooms, The Best Photographer, but....:
Although "Rooms" has more pages of sumptuous, exquisite living spaces than any other coffee-table book I know, and the most wonderful photographer, Derry Moore, who knows how to frame and capture the personality of a room, there is one serious drawback that cannot be overlooked: the color is off. Way off. And color matters. Color is the life blood of a room. Staining the color is a cheap patina. For example, Pauline de Rothschild's magical pink and blue bedroom was not even close to pink and blue. Seeing that beautiful room in dull, flat, made-up shades was for me what it must be like to sample "mystery meat" in jail. I did not recognize what I was seeing! The whimsy of the palate, the artistic integrity of the decor was lost. It was visual palaver. Who knows how many other rooms suffered? Lauren Lawrence, author of Private Dreams of Public People

Not very happy about it :(:
May be I have seen too many design books - and were expecting for something more bright :) I have seen many of interiors in other books and they never seemed so depressing to me. If you ever come across "The house and garden book of" series - those pictures look like bright candies in comparison. And the stripes :) - it is something!!! - 1/6 of all pictures and a kind of eye-killers. I must say most of the interiors are great and so on - but the first impression - they are old and tired.